The present invention relates to a machine for field application of crimping couplings to hose ends. More particularly, the present invention relates to machines for crimping a metallic coupling onto the end of a hose over which the coupling is coaxially fitted.
Prior crimping apparatus is, in general, well known in the art and is exemplified by the FT1204 Crimped Hose Assembly Machine manufactured by Aeroquip Corporation. In such prior art machines the coupling and hose assembly are inserted into the machine through a circular crimping head and thence into the coaxially aligned circular array of crimping dies. The coupling typically has a relatively small diameter portion to be crimped which is to be disposed closely adjacent to the crimping dies when the coupling is mounted within the die array. But the coupling typically also has larger diameter portions such as coupling flanges, or the coupling may be disposed in the form of an elbow having portions extending at an angle from the axis of the portion to be crimped, and there is thus the problem of inserting a member having relatively large dimensions into a die array having a relatively small inner diameter.
To allow the coupling to be inserted into and removed from the crimping die array, some prior art machines have provided for the dies to be individually removable, but such arrangements are time consuming because typically several of the dies will have to be removed each time a coupling is inserted into the machine and the dies have to be removed again to permit the crimped coupling to be withdrawn from the machine.
Other prior art machines have provided for an increased range of radial motion of the dies, the dies being biased to a radially outward position to permit entry and withdrawal of the coupling, and being moved radially inwardly to the crimping position by camming engagement with the crimping head. In such arrangement the increased range of radial movement of the dies requires a relatively larger crimping head to provide the necessary camming surface dimensions, a provision which imposes a severe penalty in terms of size and weight. Also, this arrangement necessitates complicated mechanism for mounting the dies, biasing them to the open position and permitting their wide range of radial movement, which mechanism must also be designed to permit removal and replacement of the dies with dies of different size or configuration for different crimping applications.
Furthermore, the prior art machines typically utilize a number of dies, e.g., eight, in the crimping die array. The individual mounting of these dies necessitates that for replacement thereof each of the dies must individually be handled, a complicated and time-consuming procedure.